The WWDR is an annual and thematic report that focuses on different strategic water issues each year and aims to provide decision-makers with the tools to implement sustainable use of our water resources. It also includes regional aspects, hotspots, examples and stories, making the report relevant to a broad range of readers, at different levels and in different geographical areas.

The development of the WWDR, coordinated by the World Water Assessment Programme (WWAP), is a joint effort of the UN agencies and entities which make up UN-Water, working in partnership with governments, international organizations, non-governmental organizations and other stakeholders.

The WWDR was originally a triennial report and the first four editions were launched in conjunction with the World Water Forum in 2003, 2006, 2009 and 2012. The triennial version provided an overall picture of the state, uses and management of the world's freshwater resources. In 2012, the decision was taken to revise the scope of the report and improve its format in order to better meet the needs of its readers with an annual, more concise publication that is increasingly facts-based and has a more specific thematic focus.

The fourth and latest edition (WWDR4), Managing Water under Uncertainty and Risks, was published in March 2012 and is available here.

The first editions of the annual report will address the theme "Water and Energy" in 2014 (WWDR5) and "Water and Sustainable Development" in 2015 (WWDR6). The WWDR will be launched on the occasion of World Water Day on 22 March, whose theme will be harmonized with that of the report starting in 2014.